Pressure sterilizer and cooker



Aug, s, 1944.v

M. GA. DE SIMONE PRESSURE sTERtILIzER AND CooKER Fild July 15, 1942 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

M. G. DE SIMONE PRESSURE STERILIZER AND COOKER Filed July 15, 1942 Aug'.s, "1944.

Patented Aug. 8,d 1944 rarissima s'mnnszza AND coorssa Michele Guglielmode Simone,A Stapleton, Staten Island, N. Y.

Application July 15, 1942, serial No. 451,682

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a vapor pressure structure which may beutilized as a pressure cooker or sterilizer.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a pressuresterilizerand/or cooker structure which has the following advantages: An easily.removable cover; pressure release means which are normally fixedv tothe cover but which may be detached if necessary; pressure releasemeanswhich may be quickly and safely operated for releasing the pressurewithin the structure whereby the cover may be promptly removed; astructure in which thepressure release means will operate to prevent anyaccidental xplosion and which release means may be reset withoutreplacement of any parts; a vapor pressure structur in which the coveris held to the receptacle by clamping means, the parts of which may beadjusted to take up for compression of the gasket used betweenthe coverand the receptacle a pressure structure which may be made out of drawnmetal thereby greatly reducing thel weight and cost of manufacture.Other advantages will be discerned from a reading of the followingspeciilcation taken in connection with the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form oi' the complete structure,the handle on the control valve being shown in pressure position, and

31)thelever operating the band has two arms I5 and in released positionin dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section through the union between the coverand the receptacle about on the line 3-3 o1' Figure 1. Y

Figure 4 is a view through the control valve, partly in section andpartly in elevation, showing the control lever in released position.

Figure 5 is a view similarto Figure 4 butthrough the safety valve, theparts being shown in pressure position.`

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of the edge p0rtion of the cover showinga modified form of carrying the cover guide member. y

Figure 'l is a section on the line I-1 ofi-Figure 4. Figure 8 is asideelevation of a modified fo of structure.

Figure 9 is avlew on an enlarged scale from that shown in Figure 1 ofthe lever mechanism for clamping the cover tothe receptacle. but alsoshowing adjustable means for compensating for compression of the gasketbetween the cover and the receptacle.

Figure 10 is a part plan. sectional view. of the structure shown inFigure 9.

`In the various views, wherein like numbers reter to correspondingparts, I is a receptacle which I prefer to make out of drawn metal suchas steel properly treated andilnished to prevent rusting. The upper edgeof the receptacle I has (Cl. zzo-a5) a turned-over portion forming aange 2. A

cover 3 is similarly formed from sheet metal and is provided with a angel to cooperate. with the flange 2. A gasket E is utilized between theanges 2 and l for sealing the cover to the receptacle. Preferably, thecover is provided with e van annular ring 8 which is fastened to thecover in any satisfactory manner. The lower portion of the ring 6projects over .the flange l of the cover and acts as a positioning andguide member for the cover in the receptacle I as clearly indicated inFigure 3.

In` Figure 6 the guide member 6 may ,lbe provided with a flange I whichis clamped between bent-over portions of the cover 3 in forming theflange l. The cover 3 is held to the receptacle I by means of a strap orband- 8 which carries at arcuately spaced points around its innerperiphery a plurality of 'members 9 having inversely positioned surfacesIII and II for vgripping the flanges l and 2 of thecover and receptacleas is clearly indicated in Figure 3.

' Referring to Figure 1, a stud I 2 is fastened near one end of the banda andato this stud is connected a link AI3 carried by a stud Il which is`mounted on the end I5 of a lever, more clearly shown in Figures 9 and10, pivoted by a.v stud I6 to the'other end of the band 9. The lever hasa main arm-I1 which carries a handle I 9. Since I'I at an angle toeachother, it will be seen that when the lever is raised upwardly, thiswill force the link I3 to the right causing the ends 0f the band to moveapart and to loosen the wedge of its handle I9. It may be noted at thispoint thatth'e receptacle I has a handle 20 fastened thereto. Besidesthe handle I9, the cover carries a gauge 2l which may be calibrated toindicate the pressure and proper cooking or sterilizing point for thestructure. The cover also carries a control valve 22 and a safety valve23.

'Ihe control valve shown in Figure 4 includes a hollow post 24 having aflange 25 which is threaded to receive a clamping nut or flanged plug 26for fastening it to the top 21 of the cover. The plug23 has a valveseatV to receive a valve 23. The valve 23 has a stem 29extendingupwardly into a small bore in the post 2l. The stem 29 carriesa spring 30 and above the spring an elongated cap 3l. The cap 3I has avent hole 32 therein so as to allow quick action of the cap on the stem29. Plvotally mounted by a stud 33 on the upper part of the post 24 is alever 34 having a handle 33., The lever 34 has an arm 33 extendingtoward the'safety valve y23 for a purpose to be hereinafterdescrioed.The lever A 3l also has a cam surface 3l, the function of which willalso be later described, and a stop portion 38 for engaging the cap 3|when the lever 34 is in released position as indicated in Figure 4. Thepost 24 has an enlarged chamber 39 withori-I flces 40 ,therein to allowthe kescape of gas or va/por under pressurewhen the valve 28 is raised.The lower end of the valve 28 has relieved portions 4 I, as indicated inFigure '1, to allow the passage of gas or vapor upwardly past the valve28 into the chamber 38.

The safety valve 23 has a ilanged hollow post 42 which is threaded toreceive a flanged threaded plug 43 as shown in Figure 5. A valve 44 isseated -in the plug 43. The lower end of the valve has a polygonallyshaped extension 45 and an upwardly extending stexn- 48 on which ispositioned a spring 41. 'The upper end of the stem 48 is threaded at 48to engage a threaded clevis-like member 49 which in turn carries a. pin50 positioned in an elongated slot 5I in a lever 52 that is pivoted at53 on an arm 54 carried by the upper end of the post 42. The free end ofthe lever 52 has a seat portion 55 which is adapted to be engaged by thearm 38 'of the lever 34 carried by the control valve 22.

Similarly to thecontrol valve, the safety valve has a chamber 56 withorifices 51 therein to allow the escape of gases or vapor from withinthe receptacle' when the valve 44 is raised.

These two valves 22 and` 23 are mounted on the cover in closejuxtaposition, their flanges beingpreferably cut away at 58 to formpositioning engagement seats to assist in holding them inalignment,whereby the arm 35 will engage the seat 55.on the safety valvestructure.

vAfter the receptacle is filled and the cover put on, the lever isthrown into the position shown in Figure l. This causes the cam surface31 to push down on the elongated cap 3l compressing the spring 38,applying a predetermined amount of pressure on the valve 28. At the sametime the arm 38 engages the seat 55 on the lever 52. It will beunderstood that the spring 41 is made so that, in combination with the'pressure of the lever 38 on the seat 55 of the lever 52, the safetyvalve 44 is then set to withstand a pressure not greatly in excess ofthe highest pressure at which food is to be cooked or the sterilizerto-be operated, but at much less than the amount Vof pressure it wouldtake ,to cause the cooker to explode.

By way of illustration, the spring 30 is made' and'calibrated 4soy thatwhen the lever 35 is thrown int-o the position shown in Figure l,

whereby the cam portion31 applies downward pressure on the cap 3l andcompresses the spring 38, the pressure then required to raise the valve28'from its seat is that corresponding to the` normal cooking pressure:,for example, 15 pounds per square inch'; so that if the pressureWithinI the cooker rises above this point, the valve 28 will open to'relieve the pressure and hold it within the cooker at the cookingpoint.

In the eventthat the pressure in the recep'y tacle 'goes' too. high',the'valve 44 is raised, allow-A ing the vapor under pressure: to escapeinto the chamber 5,8 and out through lthe orifices 51. At thesarne1time, the' lever 52 is raised through the medium lof' theengage'ablestem 48 of the lever .'i2whichA will move the arm 38 of thecontrol valvel 22 to'cause the lever 34 to move to the position'shown inFigure 4, at whichtime there isI little'o'r no 'compression on thevspring 30 and 'the valve 28 will readily open, thereby further'speeding up' the release'y vof 'the' pressure within the receptacle.The spring 41 is made and calibrated so as to apply only a normalpressure on the valve 44 of a small amount, for example, five pounds persquare inch, but when the arm 38 is thrown into engagement with the seatof the lever 52, then the total pressure on the valve seat 44 is on theorder somewhat above the release pressure of 15 pounds per square inchof the valve 28 as heretofore stated.

At the end of any cooking or sterilizlng p'eriod, the handle 35 may bemoved from the position of Figure 1, full lines, to that shown in Figure4 which will immediately release the valve 28, allowing the gases orvapor under pressure in the receptacle to quickly escape. 'I'hismovement of the handle 35 as lust noted also relieves pressure of thearm 38 on the lever 52 and will allow the valve 44 to open, therebyspeeding up the release operation.

In the modified form of cover band construction shown in Figures 9 and10,*the link i3 carries a disc having a pin 8i adapted to enter any oneof a. plurality of holes 82 located in the stud 83 carried by-one end ofthe band 8. As shown in Figure 9, the h'oles 82 are positionedeccentrically with respect to the axial center of the stud 83. Byremoving the screw 84 and washer '85, the disc with its pin 8l may beshifted so that the pin 8| engages any one ofthe holes 82, whereby theeffective length of the link I3 is varied to compensate for thecompression of the gasket 5 between the ang'es 2 and 4 of the receptacleand cover.

A further modification is shown in Figure 8 in which the cover 3 is moreshallow than the cover shown in Figure l, and the receptacle I isprovided with suitable side handles 88.

'I'he `combination of the control and safety valves described may beused on other types of pressure vessels than those shown herein; forexample on vessels of the double-kettle type, and other modificationsmay be made in the details of construction without departing from thespirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a pressure sterilizerand cooker having a receptacle and a coverwith means for fastening the cover to the receptacle; a. control valvestructure having a control valve per se and a safety valve structurehaving a safety valve per se carried by the cover, the control valvestructure having a hand-operated part with a projecting arm, while thecontrol valve per se has cooperating members extending upwardly intooperative engagement with said hand-operated and projecting arm, thesafety valve structure having a lever operatively connected to thesafety valve per se and extending into operative relation with the armon the control valve structure when the .hand-operated part and arm arein valve-closing position, said lever acting, on movement of the safetyvalve by a predetermined pressure within the receptacle, to move saidarm on the control valve structure so as to permit the control valve toopen.

2. A pressure sterilizer and cooker as set forth in claim l, furtherdeilnedin that the control valve structure includes a flanged hollowApost with internal threads on thel flanged end, a plug positioned onthe inside of the cover and having a threaded end engaging the Lthreadsin the flanged post to hold the flange against Vthe outer top surface ofthe cover, a valve seat in the plug and a valve fitting in said seathaving a stem proiecting upwardly into the post, a spring car- I lriedby the stem, an 'elongated cap positioned on the stem against one end-of the spring, the cap having a vent in its upper end, a hand-operatedlever carried by the upper end of the post, the lever having a camsurface for engaging the end of said cap to apply pressure through thespring to said valve, and a release arm forming part of thehand-operated lever extending into operative relation with the lever onsaid safety valve,

the post -having oriflces therein above said valve n lever, the leverhaving a longitudinal slot therein seat whereby when the hand-operatedlever is in released position pressure gases within the receptacle flndan exit through the valve and said openings.

3. A pressure'sterilizer and cooker as set forth. sure chamber, a valvefor controlling flow through in claim 1, further denned in that thecontrol valve structure includes a flanged hollow post of two diametersboth internally and externally,

with threads at the flanged end of the post, a threaded plug passingthrough a hole in thecover and engaging the threads onl said post tohold the post on the cover, a valve seatv formed in the inner end of theplug, a valve carried by the plug4 fitting in said seat and 4having aninner extenson extending downwardly through the plug and formed to allowgases within the receptacle to pass the seat when the valve is raised,the valve having an upwardly extending stem carrying a spring and a cap,a lever pivotally mounted on the upper end of the post having a camsurface to engage the end of the cap whereby pressure is applied throughthe cap and spring to the valve to hold it securely on its lseat whenthe lever is in pressure-operating position, a stop means for holdingthe lever in idleposition, an arm carried by the leverfor cooperationwith the lever on the safety valve structure when the hand-operatedlever of the control valve is set in cooking position, that part of thepost of larger diameter having orifices therein above the said valveseat to allow the escape of gases from the receptacle when the valve ismoved to open position.

4. A pressure sterilizer and cooker as set forth in claim 1, furthercharacterized in that the safety valve structure includes a flangedhollow post positioned on the cover'closely adjacent the to receive saidpin and also having a portion' adapted to extend into operative relationwith part of the control valve structure.

6. A pressure relief device comprising a valve body having an inlet forattachment to a-presthe body, a spring device for controlling 99ervationof the valve, a hand operated lever mounted on said body for cooperationwith said spring device, Aan extension on said lever, a second valve.

body having an inlet for connection with said pressure chamber, aspring-pressed valve for controlling ow through said second valve body,a lever mounted on said second valve body and engaging a stem on thelast mentioned valve, said second lever having releasable engagementwith said lever extension whereby pressure of a predetermined value isreleased by said first valve only and pressure of a #higherpredetermined value operates the second valve to disengage said secondlever and said extension to releasev the spring pressure on`said flrstvalve and allow f iuid to escape through both valves.

7. Control means for a vapor pressure appa- `ratus comprising a controlvalve structure-having a control valve member adaptedA to be positionedto open in response to fluid pressure withcontrol valve structure, withinternaI threads at the flanged end thereof, a screw-threaded plugpassing through the cover into engagement with end, the valve memberhaving a part fitting in said seat and an end-extending into the plugbut formed to allow gases to pass by the valve at a predeterminedpressure within the receptacle, the post having extra openings to allowsaid gases to escape therefrom, the valve having an upwardly extendingthreaded stem, a spring carried on the stem within the post, a supportfastened to the upper end' ofthe post extending outwardly and upwardlytherefrom, a lever pivoted to said extended end of said support, aclevis having threads at one-end to be engaged by the threaded end ofsaid valve stem. means for forming a compensating joint'between theclevis and the lever, one end of which is adapted to extend intooperativeengagement with a part ofthe control valve structure.

5. pressure sterilizer and cooker as set forth in claim 1, furthercharacterized in that the safety valve structure includes a hollow postwith'v in the apparatus, a stem on said valve member carrying a spring,one end of which engages the valve member, a safety valve structurehaving a valve member adapted to be positioned to open in response toexcess fluid pressure within 'the apparatus, means for interlocking saidvalve members, said means including a lever on the con-v trol valvestructure having a cam surface for compressing said spring and an armextending into releasable engagement with a lever on the safety valvestructure, said latter mentioned lever l being positioned to respond tothe opening movement ofthe lsafety-valve member to move said v firstmentioned lever arm to release position whereby said.control valvemember may open in response to fluid pressure.

8. Control means for a vapor pressure apparatus comprising a controlvalve structure having a control valve member adapted to be positionedto open in response to fluid pressure within the apparatus, the controlvalve structure having a hand-operated lever in engagement with thecontrol valve member, a safety valve structure having a valve memberadapted to be positioned to open in response to excess pressure withinthe apparatus. said safety ,valve member having a stem carrying a springfor urging the safety valve member toward closed position, a lever onthe safety-valvev structure cooperating with an arm of the firstmentioned lever and with said valve stem. to releasably hold the safetyvalve member in closed position.

MICHELE GUGLIELMO nl SEIGNE.

